Mobile Information Apparatus and Manner Mode Shifting Program

ABSTRACT

Memory  42  stores conditions (schedule, position, and travel condition) for triggering switching to a manner mode. When any of the conditions is met, a CPU  33  requests a user for an instruction as to whether or not to switch to the manner mode according to the condition stored in the memory  42 . In response to a user instruction for approvable of the switching to the manner mode, the CPU  33  executes control to switch the mobile phone to the manner mode.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a mobile information apparatus havingthe function of mariner modes including a drive mode and a sleep mode.

BACKGROUND ART

Conventionally, a mobile phone, which is a typical example of a mobileinformation apparatus, notifies the user about an incoming call or mailby sounding a ringtone. However, a ringtone may be annoying to otherpeople especially in a movie theater, on a train, and during a meeting.Further, while the user is driving, a ringtone may become a source ofdriver inattention, which results in the risk of a car accident. Inorder to address the problems noted above, mobile phones are providedwith the function of manner modes, which may be referred to also assilent modes. For a manner mode, various settings are made in advanceregarding the ringtone volume level and the vibration level of thevibrator. The user can place the mobile phone into a manner mode byoperating a predetermined key. Usually, the user is required to operatekeys each time to place the mobile phone into a manner mode. In order toreduce the user's trouble of making such key operations, a technique issuggest to automatically switch the mobile phone to a manner modeaccording to the user's schedule (See Patent Document 1, for example).

[Patent Document 1] JP 2001-189774-A DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION TechnicalProblem

However, the automatic switching to a manner mode according to thepreset schedule involves the risk that the mobile phone is placed intothe manner mode despite that a change has been made to the schedule. Insuch a case, there are various undesirable possibilities. For example,the user may be unaware that the mobile phone is placed in the mannermode and unintentionally keeps the mobile phone in the manner mode. Evenif the user finds out about the situation, it is required to make a keyoperation to cancel the manner mode.

Technical Solution

One aspect of the present invention provides a mobile informationapparatus having: a storage unit operable to store a condition fortriggering switching to a manner mode; a request unit operable torequest an instruction as to whether or not to perform the switching tothe manner mode according to the condition stored in the storage unit; areceiving unit operable to receive an instruction given by a user inresponse to the request by the request unit; and a control unit operableto control the switching to the manner mode when the instructionreceived by the receiving unit instructs the switching to the mannermode.

Another aspect of the present invention provides a manner mode switchingprogram to be executed by a mobile information apparatus having astorage unit storing a condition for triggering switching to a mannermode. The manner mode switching program including code operable to causethe mobile information apparatus to perform: requesting an instructionas to whether or not to perform the switching to the manner modeaccording to the condition stored in the storage unit; receiving aninstruction given by a user in response to the request made in therequesting step; and controlling the switching to the manner mode whenthe instruction received in the receiving step instructs the switchingto the manner mode.

ADVANTAGEOUS EFFECTS

The mobile information apparatus and the manner mode switching programensure the following. That is, before going into a manner mode, themobile information apparatus requests the user to give an instruction toswitch to the manner mode. The control for switching the mobileinformation apparatus to the manner mode is executed in response to theuser instruction to do so. With this configuration, it is avoided thatthe manner mode is activated without the user being aware of the modeswitching. Further, since the automatic switching to the manner modedoes not take place, the user is saved from having to make a keyoperation for canceling the manner mode that has been automaticallyactivated.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is a front view of a mobile phone consistent with a firstembodiment, and FIG. 1B is a rear view of the mobile phone;

FIG. 2 is a front view of a lower casing of the mobile phone shown inFIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of the mobile phone shown in FIG.1;

FIG. 4 is a view showing one example of a schedule management tablestored in the memory shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a view showing one example of a position management tablestored in the memory shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a view showing one example of a travel condition managementtable stored in the memory shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the procedure of a mode switching processperformed by the mobile phone shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the procedure of a condition settingprocess shown in FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a view showing one example of a condition setting screendisplayed on the main display shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 10 is a view showing one example of a schedule registration screendisplayed on the main display shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 11 is a view showing one example of a position registration screendisplayed on the main display shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 12 is a view showing one example of a travel condition settingscreen displayed on the main display shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing the procedure of a manner mode switchingprocess shown in FIG. 7;

FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing the procedure of a mode switching processshown in FIG. 13;

FIG. 15 is a view showing on example of a manner mode switching screendisplayed on the main display shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 16 is a view showing one example of a function management tablestored in memory of a mobile phone consistent with a second embodiment;

FIG. 17 is a flowchart showing the procedure of a mode switching processconsistent with the second embodiment;

FIG. 18 is a view showing one example of a manner mode changeinstruction screen displayed on the main display shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 19 is a view showing one example of a manner mode type designationscreen displayed on the main display shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 20 is a flowchart showing the procedure of a mode switching processconsistent with a third embodiment;

FIG. 21 is a view showing one example of an answering message changeinstruction screen displayed on the main display shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 22 is a view showing one example of an answering message typedesignation screen displayed on the main display shown in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 23 is a view showing one example of a vibrator setting changescreen displayed on the main display shown in FIG. 1.

EXPLANATION OR REFERENCE

-   -   1 Mobile Phone    -   2 Upper Casing    -   3 Hinge Part    -   4 Lower Casing    -   5 Main Display    -   6 Sub-Display    -   6 a Touch Sensor    -   7 Speaker    -   8 Operation Unit    -   9 Microphone    -   10 Side Key    -   31 Antenna    -   32 Wireless Communication Circuit    -   33 CPU    -   34 Battery    -   35 Power Circuit    -   36 GPS Antenna    -   37 GPS Signal Processing Circuit    -   38 Clock Circuit    -   39 Timer Circuit    -   40 Acceleration Sensor    -   41 Vibrator    -   42 Memory

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

The following describes embodiments of the present invention withreference to the drawings. Note that first to third embodiments describebelow are directed to a mobile phone, which is a typical example of amobile information apparatus. However, it is naturally appreciated thatthe present invention is applicable to various types of mobileinformation apparatuses other than a mobile phone.

First Embodiment

The following describes a mobile phone consistent with the firstembodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings.

<External Appearance of Mobile Phone>

The following describes the external appearance of a mobile phone 1consistent with the present embodiment, with reference to FIG. 1. FIG. 1show one example of the external appearance of the mobile phone 1. Morespecifically, FIG. 1A is a front view and FIG. 1B is a rear view of themobile phone being in an open-state.

The mobile phone 1 is mainly composed of an upper casing 2 and a lowercasing 4 that are connected together with a hinge part 3. The uppercasing 2 includes a main display 5, a sub-display 6, and a speaker 7.The sub-display 6 is provided with a touch sensor disposed to cover asurface thereof (a touch sensor 6 a shown in FIG. 3). The lower casing 4is provided with a plurality of keys and has an operation unit 8 and amicrophone 9. The operation unit 8 has a side key 10.

With reference to FIG. 2, the following describes the details of theoperation unit 8 included in the lower casing 4 shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 2is a front view of the lower casing 4 of the mobile phone 1 shown inFIG. 1.

The operation unit 8 includes the side key 10 provided on a side surfaceof the lower casing 4. Further, the operation unit 8 additionallyincludes soft keys 11 a and 11 b, a MAIL key 12 for invoking the mailfunction, a WEB key 13 for invoking the Web function, and a cross key 14associated with up/down/left/right directional inputs for moving acursor or for scrolling display. Further, the operation unit 8additionally includes a TALK key 15 for dialing (placing a call) andanswering an incoming call (off-hook), a clear (CLR) key 16 for clearingtext having been input in a text input mode and for going back to animmediately previous screen, and power (PWR) key 17 for ending a calland for power ON/OFF. Further, the operation unit 8 is associated withnumbers 0-9 and characters (alphabetic characters and characters ofJapanese Hiragana alphabet) and includes a ten key 18, an asterisk (*)key 19, and a number sign (#) key 20 used to input associated numbersand characters.

<Functions of Mobile Phone>

The following describes the functions of the mobile phone 1 shown inFIG. 1, with reference to FIG. 3. FIG. 3 is a functional block diagramof the mobile phone 1 shown in FIG. 1.

The mobile phone 1 includes an antenna 31, a wireless communicationcircuit 32, a CPU (Central. Processing Unit) 33, a battery 34, a powercircuit 35, a GPS (Global Positioning System) antenna 36, a GPS signalprocessing circuit 37, the operation unit 8, the touch sensor 6 a, themain display 5, the sub-display 6, a clock circuit 38, a timer circuit39, an acceleration sensor 40, a vibrator 41, and memory 42.

The wireless communication circuit 32 includes a wireless circuit 51, asignal processing circuit 52, an AD/DA convertor 53, amplifiers 54 and55, the speaker 7, and the microphone 9.

The mobile phone 1 is wirelessly connected to a base station andreceives audio data with the antenna 31. The wireless circuit 51demodulates the audio data received with the antenna 31. The signalprocessing circuit 52 conducts signal processing on the demodulatedaudio data. The AD/DA convertor 53 converts the processed audio datainto an analog audio signal. The amplifier 54 amplifies the analog audiosignal. The speaker 7 produces audio output based on the amplifiedsignal.

Also, when the user of the mobile phone 1 emits some sounds toward themicrophone 9, the mobile phone 1 collects an audio signal with themicrophone 9. The amplifier 55 amplifies the audio signal collected bythe microphone 9. The AD/DA convertor 53 converts the amplified audiosignal into a digital signal carrying audio data. The signal processingcircuit 52 codes the audio data. The wireless circuit 51 modulates thecoded audio data. The modulated audio data is then transmitted from theantenna 31.

The CPU 33 carries out various controls and computations for the mobilephone 1. For example, the CPU 33 reads programs for executing theoperational flows shown in FIGS. 7, 8, 13, and 14 from the memory 42 andexecutes the read programs.

The power circuit 35 supplies power from the battery 34 to the variousunits of the mobile phone 1. Note that the battery 34 may be alithium-ion battery or any other battery. The GPS antenna 36 receivesradio waves from artificial satellites each of which orbits around theearth. Based on the radio waves received with the GPS antenna 36, theGPS signal processing circuit 37 calculates the current position (thelatitude and longitude) and the traveling velocity of the mobile phone 1and outputs the values of the calculated position and traveling velocityto the CPU 33.

The operation unit 8 outputs to the CPU 33 a touch signal indicative ofa key touched or pressed by the user. Under control of the CPU 33, eachof the main display 5 and the sub-display 6 displays appropriate data.More specifically, the main display 5 and the sub-display 6 display amenu screen, mail, Web information, and still/video images captured by acamera. In addition, during execution of the operational flow shown inFIG. 8, the following screens are appropriately displayed one by one onthe main display 5. That is, one is a screen for allowing the user toselect an item to be set, out of the plurality of items (schedule,position, and travel condition) of the conditions for triggering theswitching to the manner mode (hereinafter, referred to as a “conditionsetting screen”). Another is a screen for registering a schedule fortriggering the switching to the manner mode (hereinafter, referred to asa “schedule registration screen”). Yet another is a screen forregistering a position at which the mobile phone 1 is triggered toswitch to the manner mode (hereinafter, referred to as a “positionregistration screen”). Yet another is a screen for registering a travelcondition for triggering the switching to the manner mode (hereinafter,referred to as a “travel condition setting screen”). In addition, duringexecution of the operational flow shown in FIG. 14, the main display 5appropriately displays a screen for allowing the user to instructwhether or not to switch the mobile phone 1 into the manner mode(hereinafter, referred to as a “manner mode switching screen”). Eachscreen will be described later in more detail. Note that each of themain display 5 and the sub-display 6 is composed of an LCD (LiquidCrystal Display) or an organic EL display (Organic ElectroluminescenceDisplay), for example.

The touch sensor 6 a is disposed to cover the sub-display 6 andconfigured to output to the CPU 33 a signal indicative of thecoordinates locating a touch by a dielectric, such as a finger of theuser. Note that the touch sensor 6 a is not limited to any specific typeand may be a capacitive sensor or a pressure sensor, as long as thesensor is capable of detecting the location of a touch by a finger or apen.

The clock circuit 38 keeps time and outputs the current time to the CPU33. The timer circuit 39 is a component that measures a predeterminedduration of time. The acceleration sensor 40 is, for example, a triaxialacceleration sensor and outputs acceleration values measured in threeaxial directions to the CPU 33. The vibrator 41 vibrates under controlby the CPU 33.

The memory 42 stores control programs for executing various controls ofthe mobile phone 1 as well as various application programs. In addition,the memory 42 stores programs for causing the mobile phone 1 to executethe operational flows shown in FIGS. 8, 13, and 14. In addition, thememory 42 stores various pieces of data including still imaged data,moving image data, and music data. In addition, the memory 42 stores thefollowing tables. One is a table for managing schedules and otherdetails for triggering the switching to the manner mode (hereinafter,referred to as a “schedule management table”). Another is a table formanaging positions and other details for triggering the switching to themanner mode (hereinafter, referred to as a “position management table”).Yet another is a table for managing travel conditions and other detailsfor triggering the switching to the manner mode (hereinafter, referredto as a “travel condition management table”). In one example shown inFIG. 4, the schedule management table has the items of “NO.”, “startdate & time”, “end date & time”, “plan”, “place”, and “manner modeswitch flag”. In one example shown in FIG. 5, the position managementtable has the items of “NO.”, “latitude/longitude”, “place”, and “mannermode switch flag”. In one example shown in FIG. 6, the travel conditionmanagement table has the items of “NO.”, “traveling velocity”,“duration”, “situation” and “manner mode switch flag”. The contents andusage of each table will be described later Note that the memory 42 iscomposed of ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory),nonvolatile memory or a hard disk, for example.

<Operation of Mobile Phone>

The following describes the mode switching process of the mobile phone 1shown in FIG. 1, with reference to FIG. 7. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showingthe procedure of the mode switching process performed by the mobilephone 1 shown in FIG. 1.

In the mobile phone 1, the CPU 33 judges, based on touch signals fedfrom the operation unit 8, whether or not a predetermined user operationis made to set any item (schedule, position, or travel condition) of theconditions for triggering the switching to the manner mode (Step S1). Onjudging that such an operation is made (S1: YES), the CPU 33 performsthe condition setting process for setting the conditions for triggeringthe switching to the manner mode (Step S2). On the other hand, onjudging that no such an operation is made (S1: NO), the CPU 31 performsthe manner mode switching process to judge whether or not the mobilephone 1 is to be switched to the manner mode (Step S3).

[Condition Setting Process]

The following describes the condition setting process (Step S2) shown inFIG. 7, with reference to FIG. 8. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing theprocedure of the condition setting process (Step S2) shown in FIG. 7.

The CPU 33 displays the condition setting screen on the main display 5(Step S11). The condition setting screen is for allowing the user toselect an item to be set, out of the items (schedule, position, andtravel condition) of the conditions for triggering the switching to themanner mode. As shown in FIG. 9, the condition setting screen displaysthe message reading “Please select setting item.” Further, the conditionsetting screen includes “Schedule”, “Position”, and “Travel condition”buttons for the user to select the respective items of the conditionsfor triggering the switching to the manner mode. Further, “OK” and“CANCEL” buttons are additionally included.

Based on touch signals fed from the operation unit 8, the CPU 33analyzes the user operations made on the condition setting screen (StepS12).

If the user sequentially selects “schedule” and “OK” on the conditionsetting screen (S12: SCHEDULE), the CPU 33 displays the scheduleregistration screen on the main display 5 to allow the user to registera schedule (Step S13). As shown in FIG. 10, the schedule registrationscreen displays the message reading “Please register a schedule.” Theschedule registration screen additionally includes input fields for thestart date & time of a plan to be scheduled, the end date & time of theplan, the details of the plan, and the place at which the plan is to beexecuted. The schedule registration screen additionally includes themessage reading “Does the schedule require switching to the mannermode?” Further, the schedule registration screen additionally includestwo radio buttons which are “YES” and “NO”. The “YES” button is usedinstruct that the schedule being registered requires the switching tothe manner mode. The “NO” button is used to instruct that the schedulebeing registered does not require the switching to the manner mode. Theschedule registration screen additionally includes an “Enter” button. Ata bush of the “Enter” button, the user can enter and register the inputshaving made on this screen.

The CPU 33 detects that the user has made an operation for“registration”, based on touch signals fed from the operation unit 8.Upon detection, the CPU 33 updates the schedule management table bystoring the inputs made in the fields of “start date & time”, “end date& time”, “plan”, and “place” into the corresponding items of theschedule management table. Further, the CPU 33 sets the manner modeswitch flag to ON if the “YES” button is selected and to OFF if the “NO”button is selected (Step S14). The CPU 33 then goes back to Step S11.

If the user sequentially selects “position” and “OK” on the conditionsetting screen (S12: POSITION), the CPU 33 displays the positionregistration screen on the main display 5 to allow the user to registera position (Step S15). As shown in FIG. 11, the position registrationscreen displays the message reading “Please register position.” Theposition registration screen additionally displays a map and a cursor onthe map. The position registration screen additionally includes an inputfield for entering the name of the place corresponding to the cursor onthe map. Further, the position registration screen additionally includesthe message reading “Does the position require switching to the mannermode?”. The position registration screen additionally includes two radiobuttons which are “YES” and “NO”. The “YES” button is used instruct thatthe place being registered requires the switching to the manner mode.The “NO” button is used instruct that the place being registered doesnot require the switching to the manner mode. The position registrationscreen additionally includes an “Enter” button. At a bush of the “Enter”button, the user can enter and register the inputs having made on thisscreen.

The CPU 33 detects that the user has made an operation for“registration”, based on touch signals fed from the operation unit 8.Upon detection, the CPU 33 updates the position management table bystoring the latitude and longitude of the point corresponding to thecursor on the map into the “latitude/longitude” item, and the input madein the “place” field into the “place” item. Further, the CPU sets the“manner mode switch flag” to ON if the “YES” button is selected and toOFF if the “NO” button is selected (Step S16). The CPU 33 then goes backto Step S11.

If the user sequentially selects “travel condition” and “OK” on thecondition setting screen (S12: VELOCITY), the CPU 33 displays the travelcondition setting screen on the main display 5 to allow the user toregister a travel condition (Step S17). As shown in FIG. 12, the travelcondition setting screen displays the message reading “Please registertravel condition.” The schedule registration screen additionallyincludes input fields for the traveling velocity, duration, andsituation of a travel condition to be registered. The travel conditionsetting screen also displays the message reading “Does the conditionrequire switching to the manner mode?” The travel condition settingscreen additionally includes two radio buttons which are “YES” and “NO”.The “YES” button is used to instruct that the travel condition beingregistered requires the switching to the manner mode. The “NO” button isused to instruct that the travel condition being registered does notrequire the switching to the manner mode. The travel condition settingscreen additionally includes an “Enter” button. At a bush of the “Enter”button, the user can enter and register the inputs having made on thisscreen.

The CPU 33 detects that the user has made an operation for“registration”, based on touch signals fed from the operation unit 8.Upon detection, the CPU 33 updates the travel condition management tableby storing the inputs made in the “traveling velocity”, “duration” and“situation” fields into corresponding items of the travel conditionmanagement table. Further, the CPU 33 sets the manner mode switch flagto ON if the “YES” button is selected and to OFF if the “NO” button isselected (Step S18). The CPU 33 then goes back to Step S11.

If the user has selected the “CANCEL” button on the condition settingscreen (S12: CANCEL), Step S1 shown in FIG. 7 is performed.

[Manner Mode Switching Process]

The following describes the manner mode switching process (Step S3)shown in FIG. 7, with reference to FIG. 13. FIG. 13 is a flowchartshowing the procedure of the manner mode switching process (Step S3)shown in FIG. 7.

The CPU 33 refers to the schedule management table to judge whether anyschedule has been registered (Step S31). If any schedule has beenregistered (S31: YES), the CPU 33 then searches through the schedulemanagement table for any record having the “start date & time” matchingthe current time fed from the clock circuit 38 (Step S32). Upon findinga matching record in Step S32 (S33: YES), the CPU 33 then judges whetheror not the “manner mode switch flag” of that record is set to “ON” (StepS34). If the “manner mode switch flag” is set to “ON” (S34: YES), theCPU 33 then prompts the user to input an instruction for switching tothe manner mode. Upon receipt of a user instruction for switching to themanner mode, the CPU 33 executes the mode switching process (Step S46)to place the mobile phone 1 to the manner mode. Then, Step S1 shown inFIG. 7 is performed.

If no schedule has been registered yet (S31: NO), no matching record isfound in Step S32 (S33: NO), or the “manner mode switch flag” is set to“OFF” (S34: NO), the CPU 33 then refers to the position management tableto judges whether any position has been registered (Step S35).

If any position has been registered (S35: YES), the CPU 33 obtains thecurrent position (latitude and longitude) of the mobile phone 1 from theGPS signal processing circuit 37 (Step S36). Note that the GPS signalprocessing circuit 37 constantly measures the current position (latitudeand longitude) of the mobile phone 1 based on the radio waves receivedwith the GPS antenna 36. Next, the CPU 33 searches through the positionmanagement table for any record having the “latitude/longitude” thatfalls within a predetermined distance (10 meters, for example) from thecurrent position (latitude and longitude) (Step S37). If any matchingrecord (i.e., a recorded of which the “latitude/longitude” falls withinthe predetermined distance from the current position) is found in StepS37 (S38: YES), the CPU 33 then judges the “manner mode switch flag” ofthat record is set to “ON” (Step S39). If the “manner mode switch flag”is set to “ON” (539: YES), the CPU 33 executes the mode switchingprocess (Step S46). Then, Step S1 shown in FIG. 7 is performed.

If no position has been registered yet (S35: NO), nomatching record isfound in Step S37 (S38: NO), or the “manner mode switch flag” is set to“OFF” (S39: NO), the CPU 33 then refers to the travel conditionmanagement table to judges whether any travel condition has beenregistered (Step S40).

If any travel condition has been registered (S40: YES), the CPU 33obtains the current traveling velocity from the GPS signal processingcircuit 37 (Step S41). As mentioned above, the GPS signal processingcircuit 37 measures the current position (latitude and longitude) of themobile phone 1 based on the radio waves received with the GPS antenna36. Further, the GPS signal processing circuit 37 measures the travelingvelocity of the mobile phone 1 based on the measured positions (latitudeand longitude) of the e mobile phone 1 and the times at which therespective positions are measured. Next, the CPU 33 searches through thetravel condition management table for any record having the “travelingvelocity” that satisfies the current traveling velocity (Step S42). Ifany matching record (i.e., a record of which the “traveling velocity”satisfied by the current traveling velocity of the mobile phone 1) isfound in Step S42 (S43: YES), the CPU 33 resets and restart the timercircuit 39. Then, the CPU 33 continually obtains the current travelingvelocity of the mobile phone 1 from the GPS signal processing circuit 37and also obtains the measured duration of time from the timer circuit39. Based on the current traveling velocity of the mobile phone 1 andthe measured duration of time, the CPU 33 judges whether or not the“traveling velocity” stored in the record is continuously satisfied forthe “duration” stored in that record (Step S44). If the travelingvelocity of the mobile phone 1 continuously satisfy the registeredtraveling velocity for the registered duration (S44: YES), the CPU 33then judges whether the “manner mode switch flag” of that record is setto “ON” (Step S45). If the “manner mode switch flag” is set to “ON”(S45: YES), the CPU 33 performs the mode switching process (Step S46).Then, Step S1 shown in FIG. 7 is performed.

In no travel condition has been registered yet (S40: NO), no matchingrecord is found in Step S42 (S43: NO), the registered traveling velocityis not continuously satisfied for the registered duration (S44: NO), orthe “manner mode switch flag” is set to “OFF” (S45: NO), Step S1 shownin FIG. 7 is performed.

[Mode Switching Process]

The following describes the mode switching process (Step S46) shown inFIG. 13, with reference to FIG. 14. FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing theprocedure of the mode switching process (Step S46) shown in FIG. 13.

The CPU 33 displays the manner mode switching screen on the main display5 to prompt the user for an input instructing whether or not to switchto the manner mode (Step S51). As shown in FIG. 15, the manner modeswitching screen displays the message reading “(Do you) want to switchto the manner mode?” The manner mode switching screen includes a “YES”button for instructing to switch to the manner mode, a “NO” button forinstructing not to switch to the manner mode, and an “OK” button.

The CPU 33 analyzes the user operations made on the manner modeswitching screen, based on touch signals fed from the operation unit 8(Step S52). If the user sequentially selects “YES” and “OK” on themanner mode switching screen, it means that the user instructs to switchto the manner mode (S52: YES). Accordingly, the CPU 33 executes thecontrol for switching the mobile phone 1 to the manner mode (Step S53)and then performs Step S1 shown in FIG. 7.

On the other hand, if the user sequentially selects “NO” and “OK” on themanner mode switching screen, it means that the user instructs not toswitch to the manner mode (S52: NO). Accordingly, the CPU 33 moves on toStep S1 shown in FIG. 7, without executing the control for switching themobile phone 1 to the manner mode.

According to the mobile phone 1 described above, the following advantageis achieved. That is, when any of the conditions (schedule, position,and travel condition) set by the user is met for triggering theswitching to the manner mode, the mobile phone 1 prompts the user toenter an instruction for approval of the triggered switching to themanner mode. Suppose, for example, the user is scheduled to attend ameeting starting at 15:00 and has set the mobile phone to go into themanner mode according to the schedule. If the meeting is later canceledand thus the switching to the manner mode is no longer necessary, themobile phone consistent with the present embodiment prompts the user at15:00, so that the user can select not to activate the manner mode. As aconsequence, the user is saved from the trouble of changing theregistered schedule before the scheduled time arrives or the trouble ofcanceling the manner mode after the mobile phone 1 goes into the mannermode as scheduled. As described above, the mobile phone 1 consistentwith the present embodiment reduces the labor involved in making useroperations.

Second Embodiment

The following now describes a mobile phone consistent with a secondembodiment of the present invention, with reference to the drawings. Asdescribed above, the mobile phone 1 consistent with the first embodimentdisplays on the main display 5 the manner mode switching screen shown inFIG. 15 to simply prompt the user for an instruction as to whether ornot to switch to the manner mode. In contrast, a mobile phone 1consistent with the present embodiment prompts the user for specifying atype of the manner mode, in addition to an instruction as to whether ornot to switch to the manner mode. The following description of thesecond embodiment mainly relates to the difference with the firstembodiment.

<Structure and Functions of Mobile Phone>

According to the second embodiment, the main display 5 displays a mannermode change instruction screen and a manner mode type designationscreen. The manner mode change instruction screen is for prompting theuser for an instruction as to whether or not to change the manner modeto a different type of a manner mode. The manner mode type designationscreen is to prompt the user for an input designating a type of themanner mode to be used. The details of each screen will be describedlater. According to the present embodiment, the CPU 33 performs a modeswitching process shown in FIG. 17, instead of the mode switchingprocess shown in FIG. 14. The operational flow of the mode switchingprocess shown will be described later.

According to the second embodiment, in addition, the memory 42 stores aprogram for causing the mobile phone 1 to execute the mode switchingprocess shown in FIG. 17, instead of the program for causing the mobilephone 1 to execute the mode switching process shown in FIG. 14. Further,the memory 42 stores a function management table used to manage thefunctions pertaining to the manner mode. FIG. 16 shows one example ofthe function management table. In the example shown in FIG. 16, thefunction management table has the following four manner modes which are“silent-vibration”, “drive”, “original manner 1” and “original manner 2”and stores the settings of the functions pertaining to each manner mode.In the example shown in FIG. 16, the functions pertaining to the mannermodes include “ringtone volume”, “vibrator”, “alarm, volume”, “soundeffect volume”, “voice notifier volume”, “easy message memo” and“low-voltage alarm”. Note the number of manner modes is not limited tofour and may be three or five, for example. In addition, the functionspertaining to the manner modes may additionally include any functionother than those shown in FIG. 16 or one or more of the functions shownin FIG. 16 may be omitted.

<Operation of Mobile Phone>

According to the present embodiment, the mobile phone 1 executes theoperational flow shown in FIG. 7. In the condition setting process (StepS2) shown in FIG. 7, the operational flow shown in FIG. 8 is executed.In the manner mode switching process (Step S3) shown in FIG. 7, theoperational flow shown in FIG. 13 is executed. In the mode switchingprocess (Step S46) shown in FIG. 13, the operational flow shown in FIG.17 is executed.

(Mode Switching Process)

The following describes the mode switching process (Step S46) shown inFIG. 13 consistent with the present embodiment, with reference to FIG.17. FIG. 17 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the mode switchingprocess executed by the mobile phone 1 consistent with the presentembodiment.

The CPU 33 displays the manner mode switching screen on the main display5 (Step S71) and analyzes user operations made on the manner modeswitching screen, based on touch signals fed from the operation unit 8(Step S72). If the user sequentially selects “NO” and “OK” on the mannermode switching screen, it means that the user instructs not to switch tothe manner mode (S72: NO). Accordingly, the CPU 33 moves on to Step S1shown in FIG. 7, without executing the control for switching to themanner mode.

On the other hand, if the user sequentially selects “YES” and “OK” onthe manner mode switching screen, it means that the user instructs toswitch to a manner mode (S72: YES). Then, the CPU 33 displays the mannermode change instruction screen on the main display 5 to prompt the userfor instruction as to whether or not to change the manner mode to adifferent type of manner mode (Step S73). As shown in FIG. 18, themanner mode change instruction screen displays the message reading “(Doyou) want to change manner mode type?” The manner mode changeinstruction screen includes a “YES” button for instructing to change themanner mode type, a “NO” button for instructing not to change the mannermode type, and an “OK” button.

The CPU 33 analyzes user operations made on the manner mode changeinstruction screen, based on touch signals fed from the operation unit 8(Step S74). If the user sequentially selects “YES” and “OK” on themanner mode change instruction screen, it means that the user instructsto change the manner mode type (S74: YES). Accordingly, the CPU 33displays a manner mode type designation screen on the main display 5, toprompt the user for an instruction designating a manner mode (Step S75).As shown in FIG. 19, the manner mode type designation screen displaysthe message reading “Please select manner mode type.” In the exampleshown in FIG. 19, the manner mode type designation screen includes thefollowing four buttons each corresponding to a type of manner mode as acandidate: “silent-vibration” button, “drive” button, “original manner1” button, and “original manner 2” button. The manner mode typedesignation screen additionally includes an “OK” button. For example,the types of manner modes being candidates for a manner mode to beselected correspond to the types of manner modes stored in the functionmanagement table held in the memory 42.

The CPU 33 analyzes user operations made on the manner mode typedesignation screen, based on touch signals fed from the operation unit8. If the user selects one of the manner modes and then selects “OK”,the CPU 33 executes the control for switching the mobile phone 1 intothe selected one of the manner modes (Step S76). Then, Step S1 shown inFIG. 7 is performed. For example, when the user sequentially selects“silent-vibration” and “OK” on the manner mode type designation screen,the CPU 33 executes the control for switching the mobile phone 1 intothe “silent-vibration” manner mode.

If the user sequentially selects “NO” and “OK” on the manner mode changeinstruction screen, it means that the user instructs not to change themanner mode type (S74: NO). In this case, the CPU 33 executes thecontrol for switching the mobile phone 1 into a predetermined mannermode (Step S77). Then, Step S1 shown in FIG. 7 is performed.

The mobile phone 1 consistent with the present embodiment describedabove further achieves advantages including the following, in additionto the advantage achieved by the mobile phone 1 consistent with thefirst embodiment.

That is, before going into a manner mode, the mobile phone 1 allows theuser to select a manner mode from among a plurality of types of mannermodes. Suppose, for example, that the “silent-vibration” manner mode isselected in advance. Even so, the user is allowed to select the “drive”manner mode, which the user feels more suitable for the currentsituation, without much labor involved in making user operations.

Third Embodiment

The following now describes a mobile phone consistent with a thirdembodiment of the present invention, with reference to the drawings. Asdescribed above, the mobile phone 1 consistent with the first embodimentdisplays on the main display 5 the manner mode switching screen shown inFIG. 15 to simply prompt the user for an instruction as to whether ornot to switch to the manner mode. In contrast, a mobile phone 1consistent with the present embodiment prompts the user for aninstruction as to the settings of the manner mode, in addition to aninstruction as to whether or not to switch to the manner mode. Thesettings of a manner mode include the setting pertaining to variousfunctions, such as the ringtone volume, vibrator, easy message memo(i.e., voice mail). Note that the following description of the thirdembodiment mainly relates to the difference with the first embodiment.

<Structure and Functions of Mobile Phone>

The main display 5 appropriately displays the following screens one byone. One is an answering message change instruction screen for allowingthe user to instruct as to whether or not to change the answeringmessage used in the easy message memo (i.e., voice mail) function.Another is an answering message type designation screen allowing theuser to designate the type of answering message to be used. Yet anotheris a vibrator setting change screen allowing the user to change thevibrator settings. The details of each screen will be given later.According to the present embodiment, the CPU 33 performs a modeswitching process shown in FIG. 20, instead of the mode switchingprocess shown in FIG. 14. The operational flow of the mode switchingprocess will be described later. In addition, the memory 42 stores aprogram for causing the mobile phone 1 to execute the mode switchingprocess shown in FIG. 20, instead of the program for causing the mobilephone 1 to execute the mode switching process shown in FIG. 14.

<Operation of Mobile Phone>

According to the present embodiment, the mobile phone 1 executes theoperational flow shown in FIG. 7. In the condition setting process (StepS2) shown in FIG. 7, the operational flow shown in FIG. 8 is executed.In the manner mode switching process (Step S3) shown in FIG. 7, theoperational flow shown in FIG. 13 is executed. In the mode switchingprocess (Step S46) shown in FIG. 13, the operational flow shown in FIG.20 is executed.

(Mode Switching Process)

The following describes the mode switching process (Step S46) shown inFIG. 13 consistent with the present embodiment, with reference to FIG.20. FIG. 20 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the mode switchingprocess executed by the mobile phone 1 consistent with the presentembodiment.

The CPU 33 displays the manner mode switching screen on the main display5 (Step S91) and analyzes user operations made on the manner modeswitching screen, based on touch signals fed from the operation unit 8(Step S92). If the user sequentially selects “NO” and “OK” on the mannermode switching screen, it means that the user instructs not to switch tothe manner mode (S92: NO). Accordingly, the CPU 33 moves on to Step S1shown in FIG. 7, without executing the control for switching the mobilephone 1 into the manner mode.

On the other hand, if the user sequentially selects “YES” and “OK” onthe manner mode switching screen, it means that the user instructs toswitch to the manner mode (S92: YES). Accordingly, the CPU 33 displaysthe answering message change instruction screen on the main display 5 toprompt the user for an instruction as to whether or not to change thetype of answering message used in the voice mail function (Step S93). Asshown in FIG. 21, the answering message change instruction screendisplays the message reading “(Do you) want to change answering messagetype?”. The answering message change instruction screen includes a “YES”button for instructing to change the answering message type, a “NO”button for instructing not to change the answering message type, and an“OK” button.

The CPU 33 analyzes user operations made on the answering message changeinstruction screen, based on touch signals fed from the operation unit 8(Step S94). If the user sequentially selects “YES” and “OK” on theanswering message change instruction screen, it means that the userinstructs to change the answering message type (S94: YES). Accordingly,the CPU 33 displays the answering message type designation screen on themain display 5 to prompt the user for an instruction designation one ofthe answering messages to be used (Step S95). As shown in FIG. 22, theanswering message type designation screen displays the message reading“Please select answering message.” In the example shown in FIG. 22, theanswering message type designation screen includes “normal” button,“drive” button”, “sleep” button and “original” button, which correspondsto candidates for an answering message to be used. The answering messagetype designation screen additionally includes an “OK” button. Note thatthe usable types of answering messages are not limited to the specificexamples shown in FIG. 22.

The CPU 33 analyzes user operations made on the answering message typedesignation screen, based on touch signals fed from the operation unit8. If the user selects any of the answering messages and then selects“OK” on the answering message type designation screen, the CPU 33updates the settings of the predetermined functions pertaining to themanner mode, by changing the type of the answering message to the oneselected by the user. The CPU 33 then executes the control for switchingthe mobile phone 1 into the manner mode (Step S96). Then, Step S1 shownin FIG. 7 is performed. Suppose, for example, the user selects “drive”as an answering message and then selects “OK” on the answering messagetype designation screen. In this case, the CPU 33 changes the answeringmessage type to the one corresponding to the “drive” mode and thenexecutes the control for switching the mobile phone 1 into the mannermode.

If the user sequentially selects “NO” and “OK” on the answering messagechange instruction screen, it means that the user instructs not tochange answering message (S94: NO). Accordingly, the CPU 33 displays thevibrator setting change screen on the main display 5 to prompt the userfor an instruction as to whether or not to change the vibrator settings(Step S97). As shown in FIG. 23, the vibrator setting change screendisplays the message reading “(Do you) want to change vibratorsettings?” The vibrator setting change screen includes a radio buttonused to set the vibrator to ON, a radio button used to set the vibratorto OFF, and a radio button used to leave the current vibrator settingsunchanged. The vibrator setting change screen additionally includes an“OK” button.

The CPU 33 analyzes user operations made on the vibrator setting changescreen, based on touch signals fed from the operation unit 8 (Step S98).If the user sequentially selects either of the “to ON” and “to OFF”radio buttons and “OK” button (S98: YES), the CPU 33 updates thesettings of the predetermined functions pertaining to the manner mode,by changing the vibrator settings according to the user selection (ON orOFF). The CPU 33 then executes the control for switching the mobilephone 1 into the manner mode (Step S99), followed by Step S1 shown inFIG. 7.

On the other hand, if the user sequentially selects the “No change”radio button and the “OK” button (S98: NO), the CPU 33 executes thecontrol for switching the mobile phone 1 into the predetermined mannermode (Step S100). Then, Step S1 shown in FIG. 7 is performed.

The mobile phone 1 consistent with the present embodiment describedabove further achieves advantages including the following, in additionto the advantage achieved by the mobile phone 1 consistent with thefirst embodiment.

That is, before going into a manner mode, the mobile phone 1 allows theuser to change the settings of the functions pertaining to the mannermode. Suppose, for example, the manner mode is initially set so that thevoice mail function is executed with the use of the “normal” answeringmessage. Even so, the answering message can be changed to “drive”, whichthe user feels more suitable for the current situation, without muchlabor involved in making user operations.

<<Supplemental Note>>

The present invention is not limited to the specific embodimentsdescribed above and may be practiced in various other embodiments andmodifications including the following, as long as the objects of thepresent invention and their attendant or relevant objects are achieved.

(1) According to the first to third embodiments described above, themain display 5 is used to display the respective screens during themanner mode switching process (FIG. 13) and the mode switching processes(FIGS. 14, 17, and 20). However, this is merely one example and withoutlimitation. Each screen may be displayed on the sub-display 6 instead ofon the main display 5. In this case, the CPU 33 analyzes user operationsbased on the coordinates fed from the touch sensor 6 a. Note, forexample, that the sub-display 6 may be modified to display a respectivescreen at the brightness level lower than that of the normal display.

(2) According to the first to third embodiments described above, the CPU33 obtains the current position and current traveling velocity of themobile phone 1 from the GPS signal processing circuit 37. Yet, themobile phone 1 may include another unit capable of detecting the currentposition and the current traveling velocity of the mobile phone 1, sothat the current position and the traveling velocity may be obtainedfrom such a unit.

(3) According to the first to third embodiments described above, themobile phone 1 goes into a predetermined type of manner mode, unless thechange to another type of manner mode is specifically instructed by theuser. However, this is merely one example and without limitation. Forexample, the memory 42 may store a plurality of types of manner modeseach associated with a schedule, a position, or a travel condition. Inthe case where the user approves the switching to a manner modetriggered by a specific schedule, the mobile pone 1 may be set to gointo the manner mode associated with the specific schedule as stored inthe memory 42.

Further, each of the schedule management table, position managementtable and travel condition management table may be modified to add theitem “manner mode type”. At the time of registering a new record intoany of the tables, the user is allowed to select a type of manner modeand the manner mode type selected by the user is entered to the “mannermode type” of the table. When an event triggers switching to a mannermode, the mobile phone 1 goes into the specific manner mode stored inthe “manner mode type” of the record corresponding to the event.

(4) The mobile phone 1 according to the first to third embodimentsdescribed above may be modified in the following manner. That is, thetimer circuit 39 may start measuring the duration of time at apredetermined point in time. When the measured duration of time reachesa predetermined time period, the CPU 33 prompts for an instructionregarding the switching to a manner mode (by displaying the screen shownin FIG. 15, for example). Then, in response to a user instruction toswitch to the manner mode, the mobile phone 1 executes the control toswitch to the manner mode.

Suppose, for example, that the user sets the mobile phone to switch to amanner mode 30 minutes after the setting. Then, the CPU 33 resets andrestarts the timer circuit 39. When the duration of time measured by thetimer circuit 39 reaches 30 minutes, the CPU 33 displays the screenshown, for example, in FIG. 15 to prompt the user for an instruction asto whether or not to switch to the manner mode.

(5) The first to third embodiments described above may be modified byomitting Step S44 shown in FIG. 13 and adding Step S45 after Step S43.That is, if any record of the travel condition management table has the“traveling velocity” satisfied by the traveling velocity fed from theGPS signal processing circuit 37, the CPU 33 prompts the user for aninstruction as to whether or not to switch to the manner mode (bydisplaying the screen shown in FIG. 15, for example).

(6) The first to third embodiments described above may be modified byreplacing the judgment made in Step S38 shown in FIG. 13 with a judgmentas to whether or not the current location of the mobile phone 1coincides with any of the registered position. If the judgment resultsin the affirmative, Step S39 is performed. If not, Step S40 isperformed.

(7) The first to third embodiments described above may be modified asfollows. That is, a user instruction as to whether or not to switch tothe manner may be requested by using the LED or the like provided on thecasing of the mobile phone 1, instead of displaying a screen promptingfor the instruction (such as the screen shown in FIG. 15) on the maindisplay 5 or the sub-display 6. More specifically, the LED or the likemay be caused to illuminate in a predetermined color (red, for example).In this case, a further modification may be made to allow the user togive an instruction regarding the manner mode by shaking the mobilephone 1 up and down. The CPU 33 analysis the user instruction based onthe acceleration values in the three axes fed from the accelerationsensor 40. In this case, a further modification may be made, so that theillumination color of the LED or the like changes from red to blue, forexample, at the time when the mobile phone 1 goes into the manner modein response to the user instruction. This modification results in anadvantage of visually notifying the user about the switching to themanner mode.

Note that the mobile phone 1 may be a bar-type mobile phone. In thiscase, the mobile phone 1 may request a user instruction regarding theswitching to a manner mode, by turning ON the specific LEDs provided toilluminate the display.

(8) The first to third embodiments described above may be modified toadd a step to be performed after the judgment in Step S34, S39 or S45shown in FIG. 13 results in YES or after Step S51 shown in FIG. 14. Inthe additional step, a process is performed to inform the user that thecondition for switching to the manner mode is met. One way to inform theuser is vibration of the vibrator 41.

(9) The first to third embodiments described above may be modified toprovide the mobile phone 1 with an additional function regarding thecancellation of the manner mode. That is, before canceling the mannermode, the mobile phone 1 may request a user instruction as to whether ornot to cancel the manner mode. The cancellation of the manner mode iscarried out in response to the user instruction for approving thecancellation.

Suppose, for example, a schedule is registered such that a progressmeeting will be held at the meeting zoom A from 15:00 to 16:00 onSeptember 25. Accordingly, the mobile phone 1 is triggered by theregistered schedule to go into a manner mode at an appropriate time.Then, when the current time of day reaches 16:00, which is the “end date& time” stored in the record of the schedule in the schedule managementtable having been triggered the switching to the manner mode, the CPU 33displays the message reading “Do you want to cancel manner mode?” on themain display 5. The manner mode is cancelled in response to a useroperation made on the operation unit 8 to approve the cancellation. Inother words, the manner mode is not cancelled unless the specific useroperation to cancel the manner mode is received. This modificationensures to avoid automatically cancelling the manner mode despite thatthe meeting is extended.

(10) A program for implementing one or more of the operational flowsdescribed above in the first to third embodiments may be stored into amedium such as CD-ROM or distributed via electric telecommunicationline.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

The present invention is applicable to mobile information apparatuseshaving a manner mode function.

1. A mobile information apparatus comprising: a storage unit operable tostore a condition for triggering switching to a manner mode; a requestunit operable to request an instruction as to whether or not to performthe switching to the manner mode according to the condition stored inthe storage unit; a receiving unit operable to receive an instructiongiven by a user in response to the request by the request unit; and acontrol unit operable to control the switching to the manner mode whenthe instruction received by the receiving unit instructs the switchingto the manner mode.
 2. The mobile information apparatus of claim 1,wherein the predetermined condition is that a current time of dayreaches a set time of day, and the mobile information apparatus furthercomprises: a time setting unit operable to set a specific time of day;and a clock unit operable to output a time of day, and the request unitis operable to make the request when the time of day output from theclock unit reaches the specific time of day set by the time settingunit.
 3. The mobile information apparatus of claim 1, wherein thepredetermined condition is that a current position of the mobileinformation apparatus is within a predetermined distance from apredetermined position, the mobile information apparatus furthercomprises: a position setting unit operable to set a specific position;and a position obtaining unit operable to obtain a position of themobile information apparatus, and the request unit is operable to makethe request when the position of the mobile information apparatus outputfrom the position obtaining unit is within the predetermined distancefrom the specific position set by the position setting unit.
 4. Themobile information apparatus of claim 1, wherein the predeterminedcondition is that the mobile information apparatus travels at a velocityequal to or higher than a predetermined velocity, the mobile informationapparatus further comprises a velocity detecting unit operable to detecta traveling velocity of the mobile information apparatus, and therequest unit is operable to make the request when the traveling velocitydetected by the velocity detecting unit is equal to or higher than thepredetermined velocity.
 5. The mobile information apparatus of claim 1,wherein the predetermined condition is that the mobile informationapparatus travels for a predetermined duration at a velocity equal to orhigher than a predetermined velocity, the mobile information apparatusfurther comprises: a velocity detecting unit operable to detect atraveling velocity of the mobile information apparatus; and a durationmeasuring unit operable to measure a duration of time, and the requestunit is operable to make the request when the traveling velocitydetected by the velocity detecting unit remains equal to or higher thanthe predetermined velocity until the duration of time measured by theduration measuring unit reaches the predetermined duration, themeasurement by the duration measuring unit starting when the velocitydetecting unit detects a traveling velocity higher than thepredetermined velocity.
 6. The mobile information apparatus of claim 1,wherein the predetermined condition is that a predetermined duration haspassed from a predetermined point in time, the mobile informationapparatus further comprises a duration measuring unit operable tomeasure a duration of time, and the request unit is operable to make therequest when the duration of time measured by the duration measuringunit reaches the predetermined duration, the measurement by the durationmeasuring unit starting from the predetermined point in time.
 7. Themobile information apparatus of claim 1, wherein the manner modeincludes a plurality of manner modes, the request unit is furtheroperable to request an instruction as to which of the manner modes is tobe selected, the receiving unit is further operable to receive aselection of one of the manner modes from the user, and the control unitis operable to control the switching to the selected one of the mannermodes.
 8. The mobile information apparatus of claim 1, wherein settingsof the manner mode includes a voice mail function, the request unit isfurther operable to request an instruction as to whether or not tochange an answering message used in the voice mail function, thereceiving unit is further operable to receive an instruction to changethe answering message, the instruction given by the user in response tothe request by the request unit regarding the answering message, and thecontrol unit is further operable to change the answering message whenthe instruction received by the receiving unit instructs to change theanswering message.
 9. The mobile information apparatus of claim 1,wherein the manner mode includes a plurality of manner modes, thepredetermined condition includes a plurality of conditions, the storageunit is further operable to store the conditions in one-to-onecorrespondence with the manner modes, and the control unit is operableto control the switching to one of the manner modes corresponding to aspecific condition having triggered the request unit to make therequest.
 10. A manner mode switching program to be executed by a mobileinformation apparatus having a storage unit storing a condition fortriggering switching to a manner mode, the program comprising codeoperable to cause the mobile information apparatus to perform:requesting an instruction as to whether or not to perform the switchingto the manner mode according to the condition stored in the storageunit; receiving an instruction given by a user in response to therequest made in the requesting step; and controlling the switching tothe manner mode when the instruction received in the receiving stepinstructs the switching to the manner mode.